The Shape of My Soul
by Asabeth-Blue
Summary: Once again Ken is taken into a world of darkness. But this time he has someone who needs his help. (And once again I make a lovely fluke. I -always- do that!)


The Shape of my Soul

The Shape of my Soul

Everyone's Soul, or Being, has a shape. Some are animal-like, others are plant or element-like. The Plain of Souls is endless, unseen and empty.

Each Being starts on their journey, racing across the plain. Each one falters on their journey. There are many obstacles along the journey. The Forest of Guilt and Fear. The Mountain paths of Pain and Suffering. But neither could hold a candle to the Swamps of Despair. Not many souls near the Swamps of Despair. It is very rare to lose a Soul in the Bogs and Quagmires of the Swamp.

But few have gotten lost there. Humans, and others have lost their Souls to the Swamps of Despair. Even fewer have never gotten their Souls back.

To die Soul-less is a terrible fate.

~~~

The Swamp was large, and relentless. Every now and then a scraggly tree tried to grow in a hardened Bog. The Quagmires were like water, except mudded in colour and able to drag down the weakest of Souls.

All around the Swamp kept to the main colour of different Shades of Grey. The mud being a Purple-Brownish-Grey, the sky Charcoal in colour in patches where it was not smoke-White or Black.

The trees were a very dark Reddish-Brown, turning Nutria-Grey. And the faint glimpses of brush or shaggy clumps of reeds and crabgrass were all the dim light-Grey of smoke or metal.

Through the Swamp a single Soul trudged. Its frame was weak and fragile, its body being young. The Soul was in the shape of an elegant Unicorn. Its main was a dark Raven colour, its eyes were dark Amethyst. Its coat was pure white, although it was now covered in muddy water, twigs and bruises from a close encounter with a sloshy Bog.

Its hooves and legs were completely covered in mud, its tail drooped tiredly. But it continued on, tramping through the swamp, refusing to give up hope.

~~~

Inside he was hollow. His mind told him this, told him something was missing. He dismissed it believing the longing to be the darkness trying to take him back. Ichijouji Ken knew all about the darkness. Knew the evil which hid there, and what it did. He knew, he had been that evil. And a part of him _liked_ it.

Ken shuddered at these thoughts, trying to focus on the task at hand. He was in class, English class to be more precise. Everyone was focusing on their work, ignoring the silent battle between the boy genius and his mind.

He gave a quiet sigh and tried again to focus on the work.

Even when he focused his hardest on the page he could feel something. Something which was cold and wet. It surrounded his legs and covered his back and arms. He gave shudder.

The bell rung, signalling the end of the school day. And promptly scared Ken into almost wetting himself. Packing up and leaving the room he headed homewards, trying to forget the horrible emptiness within him.

At home he opened the door of the apartment to find it empty. Both his parents were away somewhere. He headed to his room and dropped his bag on the floor. Minomon came out from under the bed, looking excited at his partners return.

"Ken-Chan!" He cried, hopping into the boys arms.

"Hello Minomon." Ken greeted the little insect-Digimon. "How was your day?"

"I don't know, I was asleep." Ken laughed.

"That great, huh?" Minomon laughed at his friends joke.

Later Ken could be seen working on his homework, Minomon asleep on the table beside his work.

Again the strange feeling came over him, as if a cold-wet breeze were blowing over him. Mistaking it for just that he went to his drawn curtains and peered through. The sliding door which headed out onto the balcony was closed. Ken frowned and closed the curtains tightly, heading back to his desk. He stopped half-way across the floor. Everything in his room had lost its colour, and shape. All around Shades of Grey and the jagged shapes of dying trees obscured his vision.

"M… Minomon…" He stammered, trying to peer through the shadows to his partner. Just as the strange vision had started, it stopped. Leaving Ken in his room, which looked nothing like what he had just seen. Minomon was sitting up looking worried. Ken quickly went to the in-training Digimon, lifting him into his arms and hugging him gently.

"Ken-Chan? What's wrong? You're shaking! Please tell me what happened!" Ken smiled at his friends protectiveness.

"Its nothing." He said, hoping in his heart he was right. "I just… thought I saw something. Don't worry, I'm fine." Minomon watched his face as he talked, his own expression serious.

"Are you sure?" Ken nodded.

"Hai. Nothings wrong." Minomon returned the hug as best he could.

"Good!"

~~~

The Unicorn wandered through the Swamps of despair. Its mind clouded by thoughts that it did not understand. It had almost found a way to leave the Swamp. Yet it was too weak, and needed help. It called for help, yet none came. Once or twice it was sure it saw someone in the mists or hiding in the shadows. Not certain if it was help, or death come to claim it, the Unicorn would scamper away in fright. Further and further into the Swamp. With the Bogs that attacked by just being there, and the Quagmires with their deathly grip. The Swamp was no place for a White Unicorn, nor a Unisus, with a heart of timid thoughts and Kindness in every step it took.

~~~

Motomiya Daisuke lay half-conscious on his bed. His Digimon partner, Chibimon, lay on his chest. Both slept soundlessly. There was the faint, echoed, electronic beep coming from somewhere in the room. Daisuke opened his eyes and listened to the sound for a little longer before very gently slipping his partner off of his chest, onto the bed sheets, and went on a quick search of his room. The search ended him with his D-terminal. Opening it and ceasing the beeping he found a message from his best friend, Ichijouji Ken, had been sent to him.

Calmly he opened the message and red it with the half-lidded eyes of a lazy youth.

Daisuke,

I don't know if you'll believe me or not, but I keep having these Visions. I keep seeing a place, like a Swamp, with dying trees. I think maybe it's the dark ocean. It's trying to take me back Daisuke. But I'm not so sure. I'm sorry if I interrupted you.

Ken

Yup. That was Ken. Always so timidly polite, even when he was freaking out. Daisuke eyed the message a few more times before writing a reply.

Ken,

You know you can talk to me whenever you want. You're never interrupting. Look, I promise I won't let the Darkness take you again, I swear. Talk to Minomon, he'll back me up on this. But you know, from what I know about the Dark ocean, its no Swamp.

He put the D-terminal on his desk and made a feeble attempt to clean his room. Chibimon slept like the dead, up until the point when the small device went off again, signalling mail.

Daisuke read over Ken's reply, Chibimon giving him a confused look.

Dai,

I can't tell Minomon, it'll scare him. I know I might just be a little paranoid about the Dark ocean, but its dark in the visions too. The swamp's main colour is grey and it's so cold. I know I must not be making any sense, but I'm just a little scared. Minomon is really worried about me. Earlier I had a vision in my room, and it was like I was actually there. I called out to him, but then it disappeared. I think maybe I might have to tell him.

Ken

Daisuke sighed and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. Now was not the time of day that his brain wanted to be working. But he was concerned for his friend, and friendship is a bond almost as strong as love. Stronger than even boredom, and we all know how strong that is!

He wrote a reply, trying again to comfort his friend. Wishing he could go over there and talk to him, face to face.

Ken,

If you have another vision I want you to tell me, okay? Now if Minomon does ask you should tell him. That's what our Digimon partners are for. Talking to and opening up to. Trust me its hard to keep things from them. I know your scared the Darkness might be coming again, but you have to remember you have friends and people who love you, who won't let you face anything alone. That includes Minomon, Me and Demiveemon. Would you listen to me I sound like a flipping psychiatrist! I'll see you tomorrow, okay? We'll talk some more than. Just try and get some rest.

Daisuke.

Daisuke smiled and put the D-terminal away. Rubbing his friends head.

"Who wash dat Daishuke?" He asked. Daisuke smiled and lifted the little blue dragon-type Digimon into his arms.

"Just a certain Paranoid Genius."

~~~

Late at night the wind would howl and the moon would be hidden by dark clouds. But in the morning only serenity basked the land.

The moon glowed white on the buildings and streets. The faint Earl-Grey mists of early morning could be seen trailing around poles and corners. Playing in the roads and disappearing down storm drains as it saw fit.

Now normal people were fast asleep at this witching hour. Normal people who felt the bitter cold of early morning would disappear into the confides of their homes and beds. But Ichijouji Ken was not a normal person.

He stood on the cold concrete, watching the mists play in the shadows and under the light of street lamps. He watched as the moon danced in and out of fleeting clouds, giving the world the eerie glow of the un-dead.

Ken shuddered, only dressed in his pyjamas. The chilling breeze nipped at his flesh. The kind of breeze you get at this hight. For you see, Ken was very high up. To be more precise; he was on the roof. Not to mention he was wondering how the hell he'd gotten up there in the first place.

"I hate insomnia." He spoke to no one. "Sleepwalking can't be good for me." Afraid his mind had gotten the strange idea to jump, Ken backed away from the edge. Although a minute ago he'd woken up to find himself standing on the roof, watching the moon as if memorising it. Needless to say; who wouldn't be just a little freaked out?

Ken headed silently and carefully down to his apartment. Wondering wether he'd left the door open or not. He chuckled at the thought of knocking on the door at 3 in the morning, waking his parents to let him in.

Unfortunately he had drifted off again, his thoughts consuming him to the extent that he had no idea where he was until it was too late. Or in this case, until he was opening the door to leave the building.

"What the?" He looked around at the mist blanketed world. The slight chill of early morning caught in his lungs. "Not again." He grumbled, shutting the door and turning to head back upstairs.

But when he turned he found himself once again looking at the shadows of another place which was not the apartment building lobby. The scraggly form of a dying bush could be seen nearby. The mud covered ground looked about as solid as water. A few trees in the distance were the only other sign of life. Ken's voice and breath stuck in his throat, giving him the choking sensation of fear. The breeze of the outside world surrounded him, along with dark Grey mists, different to the Earl-Grey of early morning.

Through the mists came the sound of something pulling itself out of the mud. The moaning sound one would normally hear from either a ghost or dying Human filled the air around him.

Ken backed away from the strange vision, fear and a strange feeling of sadness flooded him erratically. Filling him to a point that he would probably fall to his knees, screaming like a mantra. He fell, it was true, and his knees were buried in the freezing cold, wet mud before he knew it. But he did not scream. Instead he watched in awe as a great creature found it's way into his vision. It dragged itself along, stumbling through the mud and debris. It was a great horse. Although only about 4 hands tall it held its head with a kind of grace that a Swan would teach its young. It clambered past Ken, its Raven mane hardly seen under layers of mud, dirt and debris.

Ken stood, slowly, so as not to frighten the timid, gangly animal. The Horse turned its head with liquid grace at Ken's movement, flourishing a horn of white-ivory. Ken gasped and backed away. A horse was one thing, it could kick you, and cause you to panic under its unnerving gaze, but a Unicorn was quite another thing. Said to harvest magic powers within its horn, it could do a lot more damage just by existing than a horse could do in a short encounter.

Ken tripped and fell to the tiled floor of the lobby, the image of the great Unicorn fresh in his mind. He looked around at the dark room, knowing the vision, although more real than most, was still just a vision.

He lifted himself from the floor and quickly headed up the stairs.

The door had been left open, allowing him to slip back to his room with none the wiser. Minomon, however, was the exception.

"Ken-Chan! Where did you go?" Ken just about jumped out of his skin at the almost-whisper. He saw Minomon peering down at him from his bed. He gave a sigh and sat at his computer, trying to calm his nerves.

"Just for a walk." He whispered back. Minomon gave him a funny look.

"But it's so early."

"I know. I couldn't sleep."

"You scared me." Ken lifted his head quickly, shock replacing his blank expression.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I… guess I wasn't thinking." Minomon moved towards his friend, but did not jump down from the bed.

"Ken…"

"Hai?"

"Why is there mud on your pants?" Ken's shock turned to horror as he looked down. Sure enough mud covered the knees of his pyjama bottoms and the bottoms of his feet.

~~~

The Unicorn watched as the boy fell, and disappeared. His expression was frightened, yet awestruck. The Unicorn felt a bond to the frail child who had appeared out of no where. He watched the spot with the hopeful, tired expression of an expectant, yet loyal dog.

Maybe he had come to help the Unicorn. The Unisus covered in mud. His Soul.

~~~

For the rest of the day Ken was a little shook up. He would jump at the faintest sounds and eye shadows as if they would come to life and attack him. Needless to say he was just the slightest bit Paranoid.

His classmates were weary of him, seeing the close to deadly-frightened expression on his face they decided to leave him be. Although most of the time they were a little scared of the face that Ichijouji Ken, boy genius looked as though he'd visited hell the night before, with the promise he would return.

Later Ken headed to the Odaiba park with Minomon in his bag. The Friday sun beat through puffy white clouds which cast faint shadows over the land. The train heading to Odaiba was packed, although no one seemed to notice the Raven haired boy who joined them with a bag which sometimes squeaked quietly.

He got off and hurried through the streets, eyeing the shadows wearily, as he had been doing all day.

The day was void of breezes, the sky was clear aside from three of four clouds which hung near the sun. The faint strips of cloud could be seen through out the sky for those who focused long enough.

Reaching the park Ken slowed and looked around, searching for a certain Mahogany haired boy and his blue and white Digimon.

"Ken!" Just about jumping out of his skin again, Ken turned to see Daisuke hurrying up to him. The wild grin on his face calmed the nerves of the Ex-Kaiser a little.

"Hello Daisuke." He said. The two headed through the park until they came to a faintly lit clearing which no one seemed to notice. They sat down in the grass and let their Digimon out to play. The two sat watching their Digimon as they tumbled through the slightly long grass, laughing happily. Daisuke noticed the half-attention Ken was giving the In-training Digimon in front of him.

"It happened again, didn't it?" Ken jumped for no real reason than the fact that he hadn't expected such a calm voice just then. He nodded, giving his friend a half-brave smile. He quietly told him what happened, trying to keep himself from choking on the words. Daisuke, always the sympathetic listener, didn't interrupt. He nodded as Ken finished, yet raised a concerned eyebrow.

"Unicorn?" Ken glared at him.

"That's what I saw!" Daisuke held up his hands, smiling as he always did.

"I believe you. But Ken, the dark ocean doesn't _have_ any White Unicorns. Especially ones in a Swamp." Ken sighed and looked to the ground. He shrugged.

"I know." Daisuke gently gripped his friends shoulder.

"You know. Maybe this isn't a bad thing. Maybe…"

"I'm paranoid?" Daisuke eyed him quizzically.

"That. And maybe another world is calling you." Ken rolled his eyes.

"Thank you, Daisuke. That is very helpful!" He snapped.

"Hey! You don't have to bite my head off!" Ken winced at this.

"I'm sorry, Dai. I guess I'm just…"

"Sleepy?" The two smiled at each other.

"Yeah." Daisuke shrugged.

"Don't worry. I'll help you, no matter what. Friends forever, right?" Ken was taken aback at his words, but smiled and nodded.

"Friends forever."

"Until one of us dies or goes crazy!" Ken eyed Daisuke with a mixture of dread and shock. "Umm. Forget that last part. I'm just going to go, uhh… catch the Digimon!" He stood and walked away. Ken shook his head in bemusement as Daisuke hurried to catch the little Digimon. He smiled just before he felt a chilling wind blow through him, utter coldness and dampness wrapped around him. He swore he could see his breath as he wrapped his arms around himself. He could almost see the mists that appeared out of the trees surrounding the clearing, as they wrapped around a large rock, and some other trees. The tees started to thin out, becoming more scraggly and dark. The dense foliage disappeared but instead of bright sunshine, Ken could only see the grey darkness of a storm ridden sky. The grass slowly started to disappear into deep watery mud.

Daisuke smiled up at him from where he knelt in the grass. But the smile faded away and his face grew pale and frightened.

"Ken!" He close to screamed leaping up and running to his friend, who sat huddled against the tree they'd been sitting by. Ken gave his friend a frightened, longing look as he felt himself once again pulled from the world of light into the cold world of darkness.

"Daisuke…"

~~~

The breeze brought the smell of decaying flesh to those who were around to smell it. The dying plantation seemed to wilt further as the breeze took a few pieces from them. A nearby Bog gave a sigh as it bubbled contently. A white Unicorn stepped around a tall ant-hill-like boulder. Leaning against it a Raven-haired boy leapt to his feet, the mud slowly pulling him down to his knees. He struggled to his feet again, this time covered in mud.

The unicorn turned to see the boy looking around in confusion and fear. He went to him, nudging his shoulder. The boy gave a cry and leapt away, startled. The Unicorn backed up a bit before lowering its head some, moving to the boy again with the curiosity of a timid kitten.

Ken eyed the Unicorn from before, with fear and wonder coursing through him. His mind ignored the fear long enough to force him a step closer to the ivory horned beast. The Unicorn stepped forward, startling him. It gently nudged at his shoulders to see if he was real. Ken managed to gain the confidence to touch the Unicorns muzzle. It stopped nudging him then, simply staring up at him.

"Hello."

~~~

Daisuke watched as his best friend disappeared. One second everything had been fine, the next Ken suddenly looked as if he were a fading image, until he disappeared. Minomon and Chibimon watched as Daisuke ran to the tree, only to step back revealing that Ken was gone.

"Ken-Chan?" Minomon asked, his voice filled with worry. Chibimon was watching as Daisuke spun in the clearing, looking all around as if Ken would simply appear, and everything would be fine… wouldn't it?

~~~

The Unicorn moved a little at Ken's voice, cocking its head to one side in a mixture of confusion and curiosity. Had he known the boy was neither a soul, nor a meddler he would have been very pleased indeed.

A meddler was a dark soul who came out of no where, simply to lead the souls off course. They would seem kind and friendly, until they left you lost and alone in the middle of no where. Some meddlers were known to be very harsh and attack lost souls, sometimes – although extremely rare – they would beat them to near death.

But the boy did not look like a meddler, although you could never be sure.

Ken gently ran his hand over the Unicorns nose and muzzle, stroking his cheek-bones gently, as if the horse-like creature were made of glass or smoke. The Unicorn moved forward, scaring Ken who jumped back. The Soul nudged him again and looked around with sadness and defeat written in his eyes.

"Your lost?" Ken asked, somehow being able to read the Unisus' eyes. The great beast nodded its graceful, yet filth ridden head. Ken looked around before climbing the abandoned anthill. From the top he could barely see around the swamp, but could see far enough to know there was light. Although far away the Unicorn could probably make it. "There's light over there!" He called down to the horned beast below him. Who seemed bewildered by this creature able to climb great heights without falling. Ken climbed down and the Unicorn gave him a grateful look. "Uh. Your welcome… I think." The Unisus then opened its wings. The feathers were white, blending with the fur on its back. Underneath the feathers were a Silver-blue, which shone with a metallic sheen.

"Whoa." Ken backed away from the Unicorn-Pegasus, finding more reason to be afraid of it. But the timid beast did not want him to leave, so called the boy to him by gently nodding his head. Ken made a face before moving to the beasts side. He ran his hand very gently over the out-spread wings. "Can you fly?" The Unisus nodded. Then nudged Ken closer to his back. "You… want me to ride you?!" The Unisus nodded again. Ken did as he was told, carefully gripping the beasts mane and pulling himself atop his shoulders. "Whoa…" Ken breathed again, a little afraid of the beasts narrow back.

'Do not be afraid.'

"What? Who? Was that you?" The Unisus nodded.

'Only my human form can hear me. You are Ichijouji Ken. I am your soul.'

"And I'm dreaming." The Unisus laughed. Its laugh was like a bell, ringing a whistling tune. (Is that even possible?)

'No. You came to help me out of the Swamp of Despair, where I was lost. Now I can join the race of life once again, because you helped me!'

"…what?" He laughed again, but this time did not answer. Instead he trotted forward and flapped his powerful wings. He leapt into the air and took off, flying over the Swampland and into a sunlit world of great fields of green grass, trees covered in green and lime coloured leaves. Some bore fruit while others were occupied by souls who were looking for entertainment. A large green and dark red wolf, with bright Sapphire eyes, raced across the fields to the Unisus who landed gracefully in patch of tumbleweed. Ken looked down to find both he and the Unisus were clean, void of Swamp mud now that they were back in the world of laughter and life.

Ken carefully dismounted the great Unisus who shone even more beautiful in the light of the golden sun above. The wolf bounded over to tussock and into the tumbleweed patch, scattering the loose balls of weed. Ken gave him a confused look as he barked at his Unisus, who laughed and neighed at the wolf. The wolf then bounded over to Ken and… stood up on his hind legs, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Uh. Hello."

"Row!" The wolf half barked.

'Gibbet says; "Hello".'

"Gibbet?" The wolf nodded vigorously and barked a few rounds, startling Ken backwards.

'He says; "How is Wormmon?"'

"Uh. Fine. Why do you ask?" Unisus laughed as the Wolf, the Gibbet, bowed and started prancing about happily. "What's so funny?"

'He's Wormmon's Soul.' Ken gaped at his soul.

"What? And his names Gibbet?"

'No.'

"Huh?"

'No soul has a name. He _is_ a Gibbet. Its what he is, not his name.'

"Oh." The Gibbet pranced about a little longer before bounding off on all fours after a very, very large blue and green butterfly.

'That is a _Kati_. She is the soul of a little girl named Hikari.'

"Yagami Hikari?"

'Oh. A friend of yours?'

"Yes. She and I, along with some others, are the Digidestined."

'I know. That's how come I know them. I can only talk to the Gibbet, but I know of the others. It's because the Digidestined hold a special bond. Otherwise I would not be able to talk to any other soul, or know of them.'

"But it's my fault you ended up in the Swamp."

'You did not want a soul anymore, so I left.' Ken gaped at him.

"Your… serious?"

'Your different now,' Unisus continued, ignoring Ken's discomfort. 'You show your feelings freely now, and have wonderful friends. Now I am back, and I thank you.'

"Um. Your welcome?"

'Now, you want to go home? Yes?' Ken nodded. 'Good bye.' And the world around him disappeared, turning from bright fields and scattered trees to the dimly lit woods of the Odaiba forest.

"Good bye."

~~~

Daisuke thought he heard something, coming from the other side of the trees. The two Digimon were sitting near his and Ken's bags, both looking worried. They both became even more worried when Daisuke pushed his way through some bushes and into the shadows of the trees.

A few seconds later a loud shout was heard. Both Digimon hurried after Daisuke, until they found him sitting on the ground looking bewildered, Ken smiling as he bent over him.

"Sorry Dai. I didn't see you." He was saying.

"Ken-Chan!" Minomon leapt at his partner who only _just_ managed to catch him. He hugged the little In-training gently as he buried himself in his partners arms. Daisuke got up, picking up his own Digimon as he did.

"Who yelled like that?" Chibimon asked, confused.

"That would have been me. Daisuke, do you _have_ to jump out at people like that?" Daisuke scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment as he chuckled.

"Eh Heh! Sorry. I was just happy to see you were alright." Ken smiled.

"Thank you."

Ken told Daisuke of the land of Souls. Minomon and Chibimon seemed fascinated by his tale. Chibimon especially when Ken told them who the Gibbet Soul belonged to.

"So either you've got your soul back or that is a really weird quest." Daisuke said as he rubbed his Digimon's head.

"Quest?" Daisuke shrugged.

"You know what I mean!"

'Uh. I don't think even Chibimon does."

"Hey!" The four friends laughed. Glad to be in each others company, and happy to know the darkness could no longer take Ken, for he had his soul back, and it would not return to the Swamps of Despair anytime soon.

A/N: Gack! Lookit! Alright total weirdness and too much Never ending story for me! By the way, that's where the 'Swamps of despair' come from. I own The Forests of Guilt and Fear, The Mountains of Pain and Suffering, the Meddlers, The Plain of Souls, the Unisus and the Gibbet. The Butterfly belongs to my sister and Digimon belong to Toei animations and… no actually Fox doesn't own them, just makes a mess of the dubbing! *Ahem* R&R People who are still reading this. By the way... ending? Lame, lame, lame!


End file.
